Tallahassee Blogs » PaulFlemminghttp://blogs.tallahassee.com
Blogs from staff writers of the Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee.comFri, 02 May 2014 19:59:33 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.7Leon Democrats come out in support of Tant candidacy to lead state partyhttp://blogs.tallahassee.com/leon-democrats-come-out-in-support-of-tant-candidacy-to-lead-state-party/
http://blogs.tallahassee.com/leon-democrats-come-out-in-support-of-tant-candidacy-to-lead-state-party/#commentsTue, 15 Jan 2013 01:18:16 +0000http://blogs.tallahassee.com/?p=2952Read More]]>Leon County Democrats came out en masse Monday in support of home-town candidate Allison Tant, running for chair of the Florida Democratic Party.
Leon School Superintendent Jackie Pons, Tax Collector Doris Maloy, Tallahassee Mayor John Marks, county Commissioner John Dailey, city Commissioner (and former chair of the FDP himself) Scott Maddox and school board member Dee Crumpler are among those elected officials who agree Tant should be chair.

I’m not saying Democrats are contentious, but I’m pretty sure a resolution on the day of the week would have a hard time passing by unanimous consent among these folks. (Hey, healthy debate is good. I’m not judging!)
The weighted-vote election to lead the state party is set for Jan. 26 in Lake Mary. Tant faces Tampa’s Alan Clendenin in the two-horse race.
Leon County’s got two sets of votes from Jon Ausman and Tabitha Frazier, state committeeman and committeewoman respectively, along with the Florida House and Senate delegations’ bloc votes and the members from Leon – state Reps. Alan Williams and Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda and state Sen. Bill Montford – who can influence those. It’s very difficult to track the leanings of the county committee members and the elected officials who get to choose in the in-theory 1,159-vote contest. (It’s in theory, in part, because some of the Democratic executive committees in the state’s 67 counties have not timely designated state committeemen and committeewomen.)
Tant’s campaign continues to put out updates on the most recent party leaders to endorse her candidacy. On Monday, that included the high-powered elected officials of the state’s capital county. City Commissioner Andrew Gillum beat the rush and endorsed Tant on Friday. None of them – save for the current state lawmakers – have a vote. Only one is not currently in office – former state Rep. Loranne Ausley.
Here’s the full list of Tant endorsers:
Tallahassee Mayor John Marks
State Senator Bill Montford
State Representative Alan Williams
Former State Representative Loranne Ausley
Leon County Commissioner Jane Sauls
Leon County Commissioner John Dailey
Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier
Leon County Commissioner Nick Maddox
Leon County Commissioner Mary Ann Lindley
Leon County Schools Superintendent Jackie Pons
Leon County Tax Collector Doris Maloy
Tallahassee City Commissioner Gil Ziffer
Tallahassee City Commissioner Nancy Miller
Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox
Leon County School Board Member Dee Crumpler
Leon County School Board Member Maggie Lewis-Butler
Leon County School Board Member Dee Dee Rasmussen
Here’s what Tant had to say in the release about the endorsements:
“I believe so strongly that we must continue to recruit and develop leadership from our local communities. I am so thankful to have the support of such dynamic leaders from Leon County who have been part of our great work locally in organizing and building large networks of community volunteers and fundraisers.”
If you missed my increasingly out-of-date column on the race last week, here’s your chance to read it now.

]]>http://blogs.tallahassee.com/leon-democrats-come-out-in-support-of-tant-candidacy-to-lead-state-party/feed/0Florida early voting, absentee ballots down from 2008http://blogs.tallahassee.com/florida-early-voting-absentee-ballots-down-from-2008/
http://blogs.tallahassee.com/florida-early-voting-absentee-ballots-down-from-2008/#commentsMon, 05 Nov 2012 02:37:58 +0000http://blogs.tallahassee.com/?p=2211Read More]]>The statutory period for early voting in Florida ended on Saturday, and preliminary numbers indicate fewer cast votes early in this year’s election compared to four years ago and under a new schedule.

All together, including both early votes cast and absentee ballots returned, there have been 4.4 million votes cast already.

Voting will still go on Monday around Florida ahead of Tuesday’s Election Day.

Three supervisors of elections have filed suit to be allowed in-person absentee balloting at their offices. It’s allowed in law if individual county elections supervisors have scheduled the time and personnel.

Absentee ballots are still available from some counties, Leon and the three counties that filed suit included, and must be returned by 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Previously mailed absentee ballots are also still returning.

Early voting statewide is down 2 percent from 2008. In that year, county supervisors were allowed to hold early voting for as many as 14 days up to a total 96 hourse. This year, a new law passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature, limited the days of early voting to eight, though the total hours remained unchanged.

In Leon County, early voting actually increased this year compared to 2008, the last presidential election year. There were 45,118 early votes cast in Leon County.

Statewide, however, fewer voted early. This year, there were 2.4 million early votes cast, down 9.4 percent from 2008.

This year, Democrats exceeded Republicans with early voting by 246,930 ballots. The decisive voters who are registered with no party affiliation or with another minor party have cast 439,901 early votes this year.

But that’s only a little more than half the story.

There have been 2 million absentee ballots returned through Saturday. That’s up 8.7 percent from the last presidential election. In the type of voting traditionally dominated by Republicans, Democrats this year have returned 87,318 more absentee ballots than Republicans have.

Heading into Tuesday’s Election Day, 39 percent of all registered voters had already cast ballots. Depending on how high the turnout is, that’s probably about half of all the votes that will be cast to decide Florida’s presidential election.

In-person absentee ballots may be requested on Monday from the Supervisor of Elections Office. Leon’s supervisor will provide those on-demand absentee ballots from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday in the Leon County Courthouse rotunda.

]]>http://blogs.tallahassee.com/florida-early-voting-absentee-ballots-down-from-2008/feed/0Final day of convention starts big, ends bigger for Florida Republicanshttp://blogs.tallahassee.com/final-day-of-convention-starts-big-ends-bigger-for-florida-republicans/
http://blogs.tallahassee.com/final-day-of-convention-starts-big-ends-bigger-for-florida-republicans/#commentsThu, 30 Aug 2012 11:02:19 +0000http://blogs.tallahassee.com/?p=1428Read More]]>PALM HARBOR — The final day of the Republican National Convention starts off at a breakneck pace for Florida delegates and ends with one of the state’s brightest GOP stars in the national spotlight, setting the stage for nominee Mitt Romney.

Florida delegation members kick off with a packed, high-voltage lineup of speakers at the final breakfast hosted by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. Set to speak are New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who roused the faithful with a keynote address on Tuesday evening; Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House and second-place finisher in January’s presidential primary; John Bolton, former representative to the United Nations and under secretary of state for arms control and international security; U.S. Rep. Allen West, the firebrand, first-term conservative who represents parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties; and U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, the party’s nominee to take on incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in November.

That’s long before the convention’s final session convenes at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in downtown Tampa.

There, another series of speakers, films and performers will fill the time until the main event. Florida delegation members will be excused for debating what that may be. Certainly, the culmination of the convention is the acceptance speech of Mitt Romney, the Republican’s candidate to take on President Barack Obama.

But the man who will introduce Romney, the speaker with the second-most high-profile spot of the convention is U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, the rising star of the Republican Party and the native son of the host delegation for this convention. Rubio, who won office in 2010 with a resounding victory, was deemed a distant longshot when he announced his candidacy in 2009. Conventional wisdom figured then-Gov. Charlie Crist was the wide favorite. But Rubio worked the Republican grassroots circuit early and tirelessly and took advantage of the tea-party wave that swept the state that year.

Since, from speaking at the Reagan Library to being short-listed as a vice presidential choice, Rubio has established himself as a power in the Republican Party, not least because of his success, influence and popularity in the essential swing state of Florida.

Rubio’s importance was emphasized last Friday when he offered up his speaking spot to accommodate Ann Romney, then left off broadcast networks before Isaac reset the entire convention’s schedule. The Romney campaign rejected Rubio’s offer:

“He will remain the last speaker in primetime on Thursday night before Gov. Romney accepts the nomination,” said Matt Rhoades, Romney’s campaign manager. “In many ways, Sen. Rubio represents the future of the Republican Party and we can think of no better person to introduce Gov. Romney on this important night.”

Rubio himself, after a brief sound check on Wednesday, made plain how big a deal his speech is. A reporter asked him how tonight’s address will be different for him.

“I don’t know. Thirty-nine million people, probably,” Rubio said. “Look, it’s a tremendous honor to be able to give this speech in my home state in front of a lot of family and friends,” he said, mentioning his mother and late father.”

]]>http://blogs.tallahassee.com/final-day-of-convention-starts-big-ends-bigger-for-florida-republicans/feed/0Wednesday night at the Republican National Conventionhttp://blogs.tallahassee.com/wednesday-night-at-the-republican-national-convention/
http://blogs.tallahassee.com/wednesday-night-at-the-republican-national-convention/#commentsWed, 29 Aug 2012 21:59:49 +0000http://blogs.tallahassee.com/?p=1425Read More]]>Tonight’s lineup at the Republican National Convention is capped by the speech of vice-presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan.

Last night’s thematic message of “We Built It” will be followed up tonight with “We Can Change It.”

Before that at the second full night of the party’s convention, Floridians will have a chance to hear Attorney General speak in a double billing with Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens. She’s scheduled to go on around 8:30 p.m. The two attorneys general – the top legal officers for two of the 26 states that challenged President Obama’s Affordable Care Act in court, a challenge that ended with the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the biggest part of the law — are certain to highlight nominee Mitt Romney’s promise to repeal the ACA.

Other speakers of note include Sen. Rand Paul, son of presidential aspirant, Rep. Ron Paul, who will appear in a video. Both are sure to prompt enthusiastic response from the small, but exceedingly vocal, band of adherants to the tea-party favorite son.

Sen. John McCain, the party’s nominee four years ago, also addresses the convention, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also scheduled to speak.

]]>http://blogs.tallahassee.com/wednesday-night-at-the-republican-national-convention/feed/1Day Two (or is it Day One) at the Republican National Conventionhttp://blogs.tallahassee.com/day-two-or-is-it-day-one-at-the-republican-national-convention/
http://blogs.tallahassee.com/day-two-or-is-it-day-one-at-the-republican-national-convention/#commentsTue, 28 Aug 2012 10:32:38 +0000http://blogs.tallahassee.com/?p=1393Read More]]>PALM HARBOR — Day Two of the Republican National Convention in Tampa (Day One, if you don’t count the abbreviated Isaac-motivated, seconds-long gavel-in and recess by RNC Chair Reince Priebus on Monday) starts off with a bang here this morning.
The Florida delegation is housed out here at the Innisbrook Golf Resort, along with the South Carolina delegation. Agriculture Commissioner is hosting daily breakfasts and today U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio will speak. Attorney General Pam Bondi, returning to her old Tampa stamping grounds if the delegation weren’t bunked in north Pinellas County, addresses the breakfast crowd, too.
The full-meal-deal convention fires up at 2 p.m. at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. RNC Co-Chair Sharon Day of Broward County is among the many making afternoon remarks. The afternoon session includes housekeeping stuff. Before a scheduled 6:40 recess, the official roll call to nominate Mitt Romney as the party’s candidate for president is set to take place. Organizers insist the votes will be tallied by state in alphabetical order with no accommodation for Romney’s Massachusetts home-state delegation to cast the votes that will put him over the top. We’ll see. (Florida’s delegation is seated directly behind Massachusetts on the floor of the convention.)
After reconvening at 7 p.m. another string of speakers is scheduled, including one-time contender for the nomination former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum. The 8 o’clock hour includes a host of Republican governors, including Wisconsin’s Scott Walker. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is on the schedule during the 9 p.m. schedule.
Highlighted speakers for the night are New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Ann Romney also addresses the convention, a key feature. Schedules were swapped to get the nominee’s wife a primetime spot on the broadcast networks. Her speech is aimed at humanizing the candidate, telling a story that voters can relate to. Who better than the person presumably closest to Mitt Romney?

]]>http://blogs.tallahassee.com/day-two-or-is-it-day-one-at-the-republican-national-convention/feed/0Republican National Convention, the missing dayhttp://blogs.tallahassee.com/republican-national-convention-the-missing-day/
http://blogs.tallahassee.com/republican-national-convention-the-missing-day/#commentsTue, 28 Aug 2012 02:37:58 +0000http://blogs.tallahassee.com/?p=1396Read More]]>Clearing out the notebook from Day One at the Republican National Convention.
Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is hosting a daily breakfast for Florida and South Carolina delegates at the Innisbrook Golf Resort, in distant Palm Harbor. It’s a nice place, for sure, but it’s also at least an hour from the convention site in downtown Tampa. That poor draw for the home-state folks comes courtesy of breaking party rules and holding Florida’s presidential primary ahead of schedule. South Carolina did the same thing.
Putnam made it a joke, welcoming “our partners in primary purgatory” from South Carolina to the breakfast.
Incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford kept the stand-up routine going. He couldn’t help commenting on former governor and former Republican Charlie Crist’s endorsement of President Barack Obama (completely unrelated, wink wink, Crist earned a speaking slot at next week’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte).
The middle of the end for Crist (the beginning was probably extending early-voting hours in October 2008) and the GOP came in 2009 when the then-governor embraced Obama during an appearance in Fort Myers.
“I knew that hugs could be powerful, I just really had no idea until yesterday,” Weatherford cracked.
Crist earned boos of derision from the gathered delegates.
Gov. Rick Scott gave delegates an update on Tropical Storm Isaac forecasts and preparations. He later got a briefing at the Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center before heading back to Tallahassee for more storm work. He started off his appearance by introducing his mother, Esther, renowned and beloved for her turn in Scott’s 2010 campaign ads. “He’s a good boy,” she said then, pitching her son for the Governor’s Mansion.
At 2 p.m. on Monday, RNC Chair Reince Priebus officially called the convention into session. But organizers had last week decided to put off most of the day’s schedule in deference to Tropical Storm Isaac. (Knock on wood, it rained a bit and was blustery in Tampa on Monday, but aside from the oppressive humidity the weather wasn’t much different than a normal August afternoon.)
So Priebus, a mere 67 seconds later, gaveled the convention into recess. The 2012 Republican nominating convention officially started on Monday, but that didn’t mean much. The floor of the convention, ostensibly filled with delegates, was really populated by guests, staff members, hosts committee volunteers and reporters.
The Florida delegation certainly wasn’t there in seats directly behind the Massachusetts delegation in the center of the floor. Maybe some of the delegates were back at Innisbrook, where the resort has changed the names of its par-71 golf course holes to honor the 18 Republican presidents. Noted: The 14th hole at Innisbrook is, this week, the Richard Nixon hole. Abraham Lincoln is, of course, the 1st hole.

]]>http://blogs.tallahassee.com/republican-national-convention-the-missing-day/feed/1Sort-of Day One of Republican National Convention is wet and windyhttp://blogs.tallahassee.com/sort-of-day-one-of-republican-national-convention-is-wet-and-windy/
http://blogs.tallahassee.com/sort-of-day-one-of-republican-national-convention-is-wet-and-windy/#commentsMon, 27 Aug 2012 11:25:44 +0000http://blogs.tallahassee.com/?p=1368Read More]]>PALM HARBOR — Yes, it’s raining.
The day that was supposed to be the opening of the Republican National Convention, now delayed 24 hours by Tropical Storm Isaac. Instead, the Florida delegation will get a breakfast update from Gov. Rick Scott on storm preparations.
Scott will “make a special announcement about continued efforts to aid those affected in Florida and in neighboring Gulf states” at 8:30 a.m.
That comes during a scheduled “Fresh From Florida” breakfast organized by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.
Later in the day, Scott provides a media briefing about Isaac – now forecast to become a hurricane today with a predicted path now aiming at New Orleans – at the Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center. The first-term governor has canceled his own convention activities today and tomorrow. He’s said he’ll focus on the storm.
Scott was scheduled to speak to the convention on Monday. Now he’ll have perhaps an even higher profile position as national Republicans are gathered in Tampa as the briefer-in-chief. He’s been in consultation with RNC leadership, as well as presidential nominee-to-be Mitt Romney while briefing the media in Tallahassee, Broward and Hillsborough counties through the weekend.
The convention will convene at 2 p.m. and immediately recess until the next day. (Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus will manage to light up a huge federal debt clock at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, site of the convention before calling it a day.)
The Forum is more than 30 miles away from the Florida delegation, housed at the Innisbrook Resort here in northern Pinellas County.
With no convention activities, the delegation and gathered Republicans do have other things going on. Florida delegates, alternates and guests have a “Greatest Generation” luncheon in St. Petersburg and a scheduled trip to Busch Gardens.
That’s a lot less attractive with a forecast for thunderstorms, east southeast winds from 29 to 34 mph and up to an inch of rain.
There are plenty of side events going on. A sampling of the schedule includes the Coalition for the Life Sciences – Promoting Medical Research at Liberty Plaza, the American Jewish Coalition discussing Growing Latino-Jewish Coalition and The Washington Post sponsoring Politics & Pints Pub Trivia and Stump’s Supper Club.
Stay tuned for further updates and news throughout the day here and on Twitter, #RNCTampa.

]]>http://blogs.tallahassee.com/sort-of-day-one-of-republican-national-convention-is-wet-and-windy/feed/0Road to Tampa: Four days before convention, RPOF releases list of delegateshttp://blogs.tallahassee.com/road-to-tampa-four-days-before-convention-rpof-releases-list-of-delegates/
http://blogs.tallahassee.com/road-to-tampa-four-days-before-convention-rpof-releases-list-of-delegates/#commentsWed, 22 Aug 2012 21:21:57 +0000http://blogs.tallahassee.com/?p=1338Read More]]>At long last the Republican Party of Florida has released the list of 99 delegates to the Republican National Committee in Tampa next week.

All 99 of the delegate will have seats on the floor of the convention to nominate Mitt Romney as the party’s candidate for president. However, Florida will only have 50 votes in that nomination. That’s one of the penalties handed down by the national party for the Sunshine State breaking rules and holding its presidential primary out of order in January.

RPOF officials said release of the list was delayed as negotiations continued to reverse the penalties. The apparent end of concessions — including seats on the floor for all 99 delegates — came yesterday. So here’s the list, with home towns for each delegate following their names.

THE FLORIDA DELEGATION for the 2012 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION

The Republican Party of Florida is proud to announce the Florida Delegation for the 2012 Republican National Convention. The delegates and alternates are as follows:

]]>http://blogs.tallahassee.com/road-to-tampa-four-days-before-convention-rpof-releases-list-of-delegates/feed/0Isaac vs. Republican National Convention, Gov. Scott says state’s on ithttp://blogs.tallahassee.com/isaac-vs-republican-national-convention-gov-scott-says-states-on-it/
http://blogs.tallahassee.com/isaac-vs-republican-national-convention-gov-scott-says-states-on-it/#commentsWed, 22 Aug 2012 18:25:39 +0000http://blogs.tallahassee.com/?p=1335Read More]]>With all eyes on Tropical Storm Isaac, it’s forecast path and the intersection with the start of the Republican National Convention next Monday, Gov. Rick Scott said today state emergency planners are on it.

A release from the governor’s office said emergency officials with the state and county have been in close contact with Republican organizers. For more than a year, as convention preparations have been under way, the possibility of a hurricane threatening Tampa has been a part of the planning. August is the most active month in the Atlantic hurricane season.

“I am confident in our preparation, and the decision process in place to ensure the safety of both our residents and visitors during the convention,” Scott said in a statement.

Isaac remains more than 1,000 miles from the United States. Puerto Rico is under a tropical storm warning as Isaac strengthens and continues to march westward. But, Scott said, there’s plenty of variation in the forecast. The National Hurricane Center’s latest update includes the entirety of the Florida peninsula south of Gainesville is within the possible path of the storm. The center of the forecast path has Isaac coming ashore in the Keys and Southwest Florida in the early-morning hours of Monday as a Category 1 hurricane with 80 mph winds.

“As we know, storms this far from land are still unpredictable and everyone should be vigilant and prepared,” Scott said.

]]>http://blogs.tallahassee.com/isaac-vs-republican-national-convention-gov-scott-says-states-on-it/feed/0Road to Tampa: Jeb Bush, Bondi, VP nominee Ryan highlight lineuphttp://blogs.tallahassee.com/road-to-tampa-jeb-bush-bondi-vp-nominee-ryan-highlight-lineup/
http://blogs.tallahassee.com/road-to-tampa-jeb-bush-bondi-vp-nominee-ryan-highlight-lineup/#commentsWed, 22 Aug 2012 16:14:57 +0000http://blogs.tallahassee.com/?p=1324Read More]]>Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention in Tampa includes a lineup of speakers that should please the Florida delegation. Former Gov. Jeb Bush is set to speak, as is Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Mitt Romney’s ticket mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, makes his address to delegates and viewers as the top attraction of the evening.

The party-line theme for Wednesday night is “We Can Change It.” Speakers and presentations include spelling out presumptive nominee Mitt Romney’s plan to “restore our country as the best place in the world to find a job, start a business or hire a worker,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, in a statement.

Also on the schedule: Sen. John McCain. Four years ago he was on the verge of officially taking the party’s nomination for president himself.

Republicans are rolling out details of next week’s convention schedule each day this week. Today, the penultimate evening of the four-day event was detailed.

Among the others who will speak are Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConell of Kentucky, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio and Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota (those last two the object of speculation about possible vice presidential picks before Ryan got the nod).

New August National Golf Club member (and former secretary of state) Condoleezza Rice will also speak.

With no drama about the nomination or the VP pick, all eyes turn to the National Hurricane Center. Tropical Storm Isaac may be far out to sea and packing only 45 mph winds, but forecasters point the storm toward Florida early next week. Smack-dab in the middle of the cone of uncertainty that includes the entirety of the peninsula is Tampa. (Before it gets to Florida, Isaac is predicted to threaten Puerto Rico (under a tropical-storm warning now), the Dominican Republican and Haiti, along with Cuba. Have you ever looked at the surge maps for downtown Tampa?